The John Lewis Partnership has been given permission to build more than 150 flats in Reading, enabling its entry into the housing market.
For years, the company has had a plan to replace its customer collections centre, which was closed by 2022, with apartments.
This is part of John Lewis’s project to become a landlord, providing places for people to live, while taking responsibility for management and maintaining control of the flats.
The plan in Reading underwent a series of revisions, being scaled back from 215 flats to 170 flats earlier this year.
A final verdict on the project was given at a meeting of Reading Borough Council’s planning committee.
Representing the Reading Conservation Area Advisory Committee (RCAAC), Richard Bennett noted positive design changes and negotiations between John Lewis, the council, the CAAC and Reading Civic Society (RCS).
He said: “We consider they [John Lewis] have explained carefully their approaches and the challenges of the site. They have adapted their design and layout in response to the comments we’ve made.
“The CAAC and RCS consider the current design and in particular the recent reduction in height represents a better fit with the neighbouring conservation area and listed buildings. We do acknowledge the design has been carefully developed and enhanced during the planning process and is acceptable.”
However, he did voice concern about the lack of modern surgeries able to deal with the number of future residents set to occupy homes in the town centre.
To address that, John Lewis has offered to pay £146,880 to the NHS to help pay for a new primary care facility at the Broad Street Mall.
While Mr Bennett praised adjustments, he said CAAC believed ‘the site deserves a better design’.
The merits of the project were presented by Katherine Russell and David Rothwell.
Katherine said: “We are privileged and proud to have been part of Reading for over 70 years, employing more than 600 people across our John Lewis and Waitrose stores.
“So Reading isn’t just a place we trade, it’s a community and town where we truly believe we belong, and that’s why Mill Lane feels such a fitting location for one of our very first build-to-rent developments.”
Katherine and David pointed out that the £70 million project will regenerate an underused brownfield site to deliver high-quality, energy-efficient homes, nearly 5,000 sq ft of indoor amenity space for fitness, homeworking and socialising, and landscaped communal gardens.
Furthermore, a new community space and access to gardens for local groups will be provided, along with a 328 per cent biodiversity net gain.
The project received a mixed review from councillor John Ennis (Labour, Southcote), who praised the design and a concierge service that will help future residents.
However, he bemoaned the affordable housing officer of 17 flats, which is 10 per cent, well below the council’s policy of 30 per cent of developments being affordable.
Cllr Ennis said: “I think it’s disappointing about the affordable housing, I think it has to be mentioned, we have it at 30 per cent.
“Local people need affordability, but the viability of the development is in question.”
Referring to John Lewis’s slogan ‘never knowingly undersold’, he said: “Well, it has, under affordable housing, we have to look at that, but we have to weigh it up, disappointing as it is.”
Supporting the project, MickyMicky LengLeng (Labour, Whitley), lead councillor for planning, said: “I’d like to thank John Lewis for their commitment to Reading. particularly the high street. I’m fully supportive of it.
“You can see the difference in the way John Lewis has engaged with us, because as a Partnership they think long-term and put the community at the centre. That’s been clear throughout this process.”
The project was unanimously approved at the council’s planning applications committee meeting yesterday (Wednesday, October 8).
You can view the application by typing reference PL/24/1155 into the council’s planning portal.
